I hope you all had a restful half term break. It’s lovely to welcome everyone back as we begin our final half term of the year – it’s always a busy but exciting time in school, and one that seems to fly by!
Exams are continuing this week and will remain a key focus over the coming weeks. We are incredibly proud of how our students are approaching them with maturity and determination, and we wish them all the very best. Thank you, as always, for your support at home – it really does make a difference.
Alongside exams, the calendar is filling up quickly with a range of events, trips and activities. From performances and sports fixtures to end-of-year celebrations, there’s plenty to look forward to and lots of opportunities for students to get involved and make the most of their final weeks of the academic year.
As ever, please do keep an eye on communications so you don’t miss any important updates or key dates.
Warm wishes, Mr C Beard
Important Updates
Dates for your diary:
2nd – 4th June – Year 10 Work Experience
4th June – Year 12 Parents’ Evening
4th June – Great Lancashire Debate Cabinet Meeting
8th and 9th June – Year 8 Geography Trip to Morecambe Beach
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School Photography
On Tuesday 2nd June and Monday 15th June, our school photographer will be in to take some new pictures of students that may be used across our website, social media and marketing materials.
We would like to remind you that as of September 2025, our Photo and Video Permissions were updated to an opt-out system. You can find more information about how to opt out, here:
On Thursday 25th June we will be holding our Open Evening, where we invite Year 4 and 5 families to look around the school to see what the school has to offer and make the very important decision about whether they are going to try to gain a place for September 2027. We are expecting a very busy evening!
On this day, we will be closing school at 2.30pm, and pupils will be free to leave at this time. Please make arrangements for your child to get home at the earlier time, or discuss with them the plans if they are waiting for their usual bus/train. We have been able to arrange for the 487 bus to Abbeystead to align with the 2.30pm finish, so for this bus there will be an additional service an hour earlier.
We are looking for Year 7 and 8 students who would be willing to help on the evening by being tour guides, and Year 9 students who would be willing to help in departments. If your child is able to help on the evening, please complete the relevant form below:
Students helping will need to be back in school by 4.45 pm until the finish at 7.30pm. If possible, students should return home from 2.30pm until 4.45pm. If it is not possible to return home, an area of the school will be open for students to use between the end of school and the start of the Open Evening. Some students may prefer to go into town, and they can bring food back to eat in school. Please discuss with your child what you would like them to do.
The evening is due to finish around 7.30 pm, so please arrange to collect your child after that time or make arrangements about travelling home.
Thank you very much in advance for supporting what will undoubtably be a great evening!
Omoggle & the PSL Scale: A Parent’s Guide to Keeping Your Child Safe Online
Omoggle (remember Omegle?) is a website that connects random users via live video calls, while also introducing a competitive element in which users are rated and ranked based on their appearance. It uses AI to scan faces against the PSL Scale, a numerical rating system used by looksmaxxing communities to judge facial attractiveness, and maintains a leaderboard tracking who has “mogged” (outperformed) the most opponents. There is no age verification, just a “Yes I am 18” button.
Virgin Media and Internet Matters have released a wonderful new resource for parents/carers. Called ‘Find the Right Words’, the video and resources help with some of those difficult conversations about how to keep children safe online.
Steam is a huge digital distribution platform for PC gaming and hugely popular with children and young people. Basically Steam acts as a storefront, installer, launcher and social network for 30,000 games. Because of the vast range of games, some of which will not be suitable for children, it’s important that parents understand the controls that are available to them on the Steam platform. Internet Matters have a 1-minute video on YouTube which will help with this.
One Stop Shop at Firbank Family Hub! This will be every second Wednesday 9:30-11:30am with attendance from HCRG, Lancaster and Morecambe College, Sexual Health Services to name a few!
This is a great opportunity for parents to come to the Hub and see what Children and Family Wellbeing Service are about, have a cuppa and a biscuit and the opportunity for a chat and support.
There is a wealth of useful information from Young Minds to help parents and carers understand more about their young person’s mental health. Find the right help for them or hear from other parents who’ve been there.
You will find advice on:
Helping your child to talk
Looking after yourself as a parent/carer
Speaking to professionals
An A-Z guide to mental health and a guide to mental health services.
Supporting Students through the Exam Period
Young Minds have also included a specific section on the exam period, which can be found here: Exam time
Exam season can be a stressful time for many students, with pressure to perform potentially taking a toll on their wellbeing. While encouraging students to work hard remains important, it’s equally vital that they feel supported throughout the process.
The NHS has put together a helpful guide for parents on supporting their children during exams, with practical advice on building healthy routines, spotting signs of stress and creating a positive environment at home.
You can also find advice in the NHS Education Hub below.
We have a growing Alumnae network and, as a reminder, you are able to keep in touch with school, each other, and receive our termly Alumnae newsletter by signing up to Future First.
Our Alumnae also provide support to our current students through talks, mentoring or offering work experience. Further along your career path, this may be something that you wish to be involved with.
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